


Personal Assistant

by KissedByAShadow



Category: Shadowhunters, Shadowhunters (TV), Shadowhunters (TV) RPF, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare, malec - Fandom
Genre: Alec Lightwood Deserves Nice Things, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Non-Magical, Angst, Asexual, Bad Parent Robert Lightwood, Because everyone matters, Bisexual, Brothers, But they're not quite friends yet, Clary Fray & Alec Lightwood Friendship, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Enemies isn't the right word, Fluff, Friendship, Gay, Good Parent Maryse Lightwood, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Magnus Bane Deserves Nice Things, Petty, Sexual Content, Sexual Tension, Sisters, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, You guys get the picture, relationships, straight - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-13
Updated: 2018-10-17
Packaged: 2019-07-11 21:35:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15980978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KissedByAShadow/pseuds/KissedByAShadow
Summary: "You spit in it, didn't you?""Yet, you're still drinking it.""We've already slept together, doesn't make a difference.""...I hate this job.""And I hate you."





	1. Chapter 1

"Mom, please, no." Alec said, almost pleaded, as a look that could only be described as pure devastation crossed his face. 

"Alec, I'm not in favor of the idea any more than you are." His mother said helplessly. Alec could picture her on the other end of the line, rubbing a tired hand across her face as she willingly submitted to another one of his father's ridiculous demands. Because really, what other choice did she have? What other choice did any of them have?

"You know what he's like." She continued, sighing. "I can't argue any further, not when he has a point this time."

At that, Alec let a sigh of his own escape his lips. She was right, in a way. Not that he would ever say that out loud. The last thing he wanted was to give his father the upper hand. He may agree with Robert Lightwood on some things (very, very few things), but that didn't mean he was ever going to admit it.

"I know." He said in defeat, looking down at his shoes as he paced across his office, scraping the polished marble floor with each step. "It's just...I don't know." He said, not really sure  _what_ he wanted. All he knew was that getting a personal assistant was, although a good idea, one he was not in favor of. It was an invasion of his privacy, first of all, and the one thing Alec valued more than anything on this planet was his privacy. He had too much to hide, and a personal assistant....

Well.

"Okay." He said finally, the word almost a whisper. Instantly, he regretting giving his consent. He hoped his mother hadn't heard him, but that was wishful thinking. 

"Oh, thank heavens." His mother said, the relief evident in her voice. Immediately, guilt flooded through Alec. How long had she fought with his father, trying to convince him that this was a bad idea? He should've agreed earlier. It would have saved her so much trouble. Instead, it took her four long phone calls to finally get him to even consider the possibility of the idea. It took six to get him to agree. 

"Thank you, Alec." She breathed out, sounding as if the weight of the world had been lifted off her shoulders. And, in a way, it had, even if it was only for the time being. Alec was absolutely positive his father would be ready with another load of stress for her soon enough, but for now, she could relax. He smiled at the thought.

"I'll be seeing you this weekend?" She asked hopefully, interrupting the peaceful silence that had settled between them, with the occasional buzz of static.

"Of course." Alec replied instantly. He would never miss a family weekend, not for the world. 

He could practically feel his mother beaming at the other end.

"I'll see you then." She said, and her voice radiated happiness. It only made Alec smile more.

"Love you, mom." He said.

"I love you, too, Alec." She said.

And then the line went dead.

 

* * *

 

 

"You'll be interviewing them from ten to one, and then again from three to seven." Izzy said, handing Alec a huge file.

"Excuse me?" Alec asked incredulously, plucking the file out of Izzy's hands. It looked like it was about to explode.

"You need to go through those files by the end of today, and decide who you want to interview."

"No one." He mumbled. She glared at him before continuing.

"If you think that person is worth interviewing, sign the resume. And when I say go through those files, I mean _go through_ them. Not sign random sheets." She said sternly, before opening her mouth to continue.

"Woah, woah, woah." He said, holding up a hand to stop her. "Two questions." He said, eyeing the file warily.

"Ask away." 

"One, do so many people seriously want to be a personal assistant?" He asked, surprised that the resumes never seemed to end. The file was like a bottomless pit that just kept conjuring more of whatever was in it. Maybe he could try pouring his coffee into it...

"No, Alec." Izzy said, her voice kind but stern. "So many people want the money. I don't how much mom offered to pay, but I'm going to assume it's a lot."

"Of course." Alec muttered under his breath before continuing. "Two, can we seriously not afford more files?" He deadpanned.

Izzy raised an eyebrow.

"Alec, I have to get back to work." She said apologetically, but not before glaring at him for a full minute. "Is that all?" 

"Sorry." Alec said. "But seriously? Seven hours of interviews?"

"That's three questions now."

Alec waited.

"Yes, Alec." Izzy sighed. "You're stuck interviewing people for seven hours. And this is only day one-"

"There's more?!" Alec almost yelled, earning himself another glare that put the fiery pits of hell to shame. He snapped his mouth shut, his teeth slamming against each other with a loud  _click._ Wincing, he rubbed at his jaw, but didn't say another word. 

"-which brings me back to my first point." Izzy continued. She had stopped glaring at him, but her eyes still held a warning in them. "There are a lot of people who need the money."

"Yeah, I get it." Alec said, his playful mood disappearing. The atmosphere in the room suddenly shifted, although Alec couldn't quite place his finger on why. For a moment, Izzy looked like she wanted to say something, but decided against it.

"Something wrong?" Alec asked, keeping his tone casual despite his worry.

"Nothing, it's just..."

"What is it, Iz?"

"We're just sitting here, heaps of money surrounding us, and there are people out there who have next to nothing." She said unhappily, her face an even mask of sadness and guilt. It didn't take an expert to figure out the reason behind either of those emotions.

"Izzy," Alec said, shifting into big brother mode. "That's just the way it is. There are some things you can't change. You can help, but you can't do much more." He said, placing his hands on her shoulders. 

For a moment, she was silent. 

Alec guessed what she was thinking.

"I know exactly how you feel." He continued, not wanting her to get the wrong impression. "Trust me, I've been there." 

"Yeah, okay." She said, and Alec could sense her closing her walls back up, shifting into business mode once again. Lunch was almost up.

"Besides," He said, trying to get one last word in before she had to leave. "Why do you think mom's offering so much money?"

She was quiet for a moment. "I guess you're right." She finally conceded, her voice small.

"Did I just get the great Isabelle Lightwood to agree with me?" Alec asked playfully, his voice booming through his ridiculously huge, empty room. 

"Don't get used to it." She said, smiling. 

He grinned back at her. "We'll see about that." He said, pulling her into a warm hug. She returned the gesture happily. 

After a moment, she pulled away. "See you...whenever?" She asked, already walking towards the door, her heels clicking against the floor.

"Yeah, see you whenever." Alec said, his hand going up in a small wave as she walked out the door. The lock clicked into place behind her.

A second later, her head popped into the room again. "Don't forget about those." She said perkily, pointing a perfectly manicured finger at the ginormous, bottomless file that looked like it could swallow New York whole on his desk before disappearing again.

Alec groaned.

 


	2. Chapter 2

Magnus stood in front of the huge floor-to-ceiling mirror in his bedroom, eyeing himself up and down as he adjusted his clothes. Thank the heavens for the mirror. It wasn't his own, it was a gift from Catarina, who'd gotten it installed in his bedroom more than a year ago. Magnus had been beside himself with joy when he had come home to find the thing taking up almost half a wall. He'd always wanted one of those mirrors, he'd just never had enough money to afford one.

If he did, he wouldn't be trying to get this horrifying job in the first place. 

Being a personal assistant was the very last thing he had imagined he would be. When he was younger, he was filled with dreams, big and bold and beautiful. He would be a lawyer, or a doctor, or a CEO of a huge company. Everywhere he went, people would know who he was. He would be sensational. 

And then, of course, his mother committed suicide because of his douchebag of a father - who was never really home - and he'd ended up in foster care after foster care. Instantly, he'd gone from dreaming about being successful to dreaming about getting his next meal at a proper table. And maybe with a family.

To be fair, though, Magnus was slightly close to his last dream. He would, technically, be in a vicinity of a CEO of a huge company (if he managed to get this job).

As a personal assistant.

Magnus shuddered at the thought. 

He didn't want this any more than he was sure his fellow competitors did. But the pay was good, which is why they were all clamoring for this job. Huge, in fact. That dollar amount was so big, Magnus had doubted whether this was a scam more than once. Still, it was worth a shot.

Sighing, he ran a hand through his hand one more time. Carefully, so he wouldn't ruin it. His outfit was...a bit unusual, especially for someone who was trying to get a job. His clothing choice was bold, though, just like his dreams had once been, and maybe it would make a positive statement.

Well aware of the fact that he couldn't put this off any longer, Magnus slipped on his shoes and stepped outside, locking the door to his apartment for absolutely no reason, given the fact that he didn't really own anything important, and made his way down the hallway and out onto the streets to hail a cab, all the while hoping that his (hopefully) future boss had a strange taste in fashion, a relatively good sense of humor, and an incredibly huge heart. 

.

.

.

"Hello." Magnus said, looking down at the receptionist, who was squinting at a screen through a pair of glasses that didn't suit him at all.

"Hey, just gimme a sec." The guy said, raising a finger as he continued to scroll through whatever it was that was apparently too interesting for him to focus on, you know, the rest of the world.

"Sure." Magnus said, giving the guy a quick once over. He looked like he didn't really belong here.

 _Just like me._ Magnus thought bitterly. 

The instant he had walked through the huge double doors, he had wanted to walk right back outside and never come back again. Huge chandeliers hung from the ceiling, the walls were painted a creamy smooth ivory and the floors were polished marble. Magnus felt horribly out of place, knowing he would never fit in at a place like this. His clothes were grand, but that didn't mean they had any value. Most of what he owned, he had made himself. He looked good, but that didn't mean he felt that way.

The receptionist, however, seemed to fit right in after all. His clothes weren't the best taste in fashion, but it was clear that they were branded and expensive. Whatever these people were paying their employees, it was  huge. Suddenly, Lightwood Inc. didn't seem like such a bad place after all. If only he got this job...

"Sir?" The receptionist asked, snapping him out of his thoughts. 

"Hello....." Magnus said politely, greeting him again as he read his name tag. "...Simon."

"Hey." Simon said, clearly an informal kind of person. Good. The friendlier the people here were, the better. "Can I help you with something?"

"I'm here for an interview, actually." Magnus said, his voice authorative but kind. "I heard Mr. Lightwood needed a PA...?" He left his question hanging there, a note of hesitancy in his tone, but his message was clear.

"Name, please?" Simon asked.

"Magnus Bane."

"Just a sec." Simon said again, hunching back over his screen. "You should be on this list..."

After a few long seconds, Simon looked back up at him, a confused expression coloring his face. "I'm sorry, sir, but your name isn't here. Did you send your resume over recently?"

Now it was Magnus's turn to be confused. "Resume?" He asked. "I wasn't aware that we needed to send one of those in." 

"Oh." Simon said. He met Magnus's gaze, before opening his mouth to speak. "I'm sorry, but I can't send you through if your resume hasn't been approved." He said, his tone apologetic. 

"Is there any way I could send it in now?" Magnus asked, a hint of desperation coloring his tone. He wanted to slap himself for sounding the way he did, but he had to try. 

"I'm sorry." Simon said again. "The deadline's over." 

Magnus remained silent, not knowing what to say. Silently, he berated himself. Every. Single. Time. Every time he tried to get a job, he had to mess things up. He should have more attention to the details, but no. He hadn't paid enough attention, and he'd paid the price.

His friends were going to kill him. 

He must have looked pretty pathetic, standing there in the middle of a huge building, all alone, without a job and in desperate need of some money. Clearly, Simon had decided to take pity on him. 

"Maybe I can get you through after all." Simon said. Instantly, Magnus brightened up. 

"Please." He said.

"Hey, Izzy!" Simon called out. Across the hallway, a gorgeous woman in a white suit walked up to them, her sleek black hair tied into a ponytail behind her. Her hips swayed as she walked, and she held herself perfectly straight, as if she knew all eyes in the room were on her at all times. She looked dangerously lethal. Her eyes were bright but guarded, and they held a warning in them. As if she would be nice to the people around her, but would have no problem killing them if it came to it. Magnus was instantly drawn to her.

"Simon?" She asked, smiling at him. Her eyes flashed with an expression of...something. Magnus looked back at Simon to find him dazed, a lovestruck expression plastered across his face.

"This guy," Simon said, gesturing towards Magnus, "needs some help."

It took everything Magnus had in him to not curl his lips up in disgust at the word  _help._

"Which is?" Izzy, which Magnus assumed was short for something, asked.

"He forgot to send his resume in, and he kinda needs a job. Like really badly."

Damn, was he that obvious?

Magnus smiled at Izzy.

"I'm Magnus Bane." He said, his tone open and polite. "And you are...?"

"Isabelle Lightwood." She said, raising her hand towards to him, a challenge in her eyes.

Woah, what?

If Magnus was surprised to meet her, he didn't show it.

"Pleasure to meet you." He said charmingly, completely unfazed as he reached for her hand and placed a gentle kiss on it, praying that that was the right move. She was one amongst New York's elite, after all.

Clearly, he had done the right thing. She smiled at him, her eyes crinkling with amusement at the corners. It was evident that she liked him. 

"You forgot to hand your resume in?" She asked, confirming his blunder. 

"I truly am sorry." He said, casting his gaze downward as he left go of her hand. It drifted to her side. 

"Not to worry." Isabelle assured him. "I'll talk to Alec," She continued, obviously referring to her brother, CEO of Lightwood Inc. and the corporate monster that the rest of the world feared, Alexander Lightwood. "See if I can pull a few strings." Her eyes softened as she spoke about her brother. For some strange reason, that surprised Magnus. Although he had never seen the Lightwoods anywhere, he had certainly been hearing about them for as long as he could remember. But seeing how Isabelle's face looked when she talked about Alexander....it almost made the Lightwoods seem human. 

"Thank you." Magnus breathed out, his voice an even mixture of gratitude and relief. 

"Don't mention it." She said with a dismissive, but incredibly graceful, wave of her hand. "You seem like the kind of person Alec would want to have around." She said, eyeing him up and down with an impressive nod. Judging from the tone of her voice and the strange but subtle glint in her eyes, Magnus guessed that there was story there, but who was he to pry?

"I don't seem recognize that suit..." She muttered under her breath, still examining his choice of clothing with her watchful, and undoubtedly trained, eyes. 

"I made it." He said, his voice a mask of grandeur. At that, her head snapped up, her eyes and incredulous, and - Magnus noted proudly - filled with awe. 

"Woah." She mouthed, looking at his outfit again, but with a newfound respect this time. "Seriously?" She asked, and for a moment, Isabelle Lightwood sounded like nothing more than a young girl seeing a rainbow for the first time, or receiving her first Christmas gift.

"You have my word." Magnus said firmly, leaving no room for doubt. And why should he? Maybe his clothes didn't cost a thousand dollars per piece. Maybe they weren't designer. But he made them, and they looked incredible nevertheless.

"You, my friend," Isabelle murnured, tossing him a half hearted, distracted glance before returning her gaze back to his suit, "have just earned yourself a job."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There you have it, chapter 2. Magnus is finally here, thank heavens ;)
> 
> I feel like I should justify Isabelle's behaviour in the end but I also feel like I don't need to because come on, that's Magnus Freaking Bane. Who wouldn't lose their sh*t after seeing him?
> 
> Anyway, let me know what you guys thought of this chapter, it would mean a lot. I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as possible.
> 
> Peace,  
> Dana.


	3. Chapter 3

"Just one more guy." Izzy pleaded, looking up at Alec with an expression that took every ounce of his willpower to ignore. 

He squeezed his eyes shut and pressed his hands to his temples, massaging them lightly in what could only be called a pathetic attempt to lessen his throbbing headache. He'd interviewed tons of people today, and each person had somehow managed to be significantly more annoying and incapable than the last.  

"Absolutely not." He said resolutely, a stubborn expression cast across his face. "Izzy, I've literally interviewed more than a hundred people today, I'm exhausted. There's no way I can sit through another one." His voice was firm. He knew he was being a tad bit unreasonable, but he couldn't find it in himself to care.

Normally, he wasn't one to give up, but he had never really been on board with this idea in the first place, and the amount of people who had pissed him off today was ridiculously large. Enough to make him want to just throw all the resumes he had piled up in front of him across the floor and spend the rest of the night at the club a few streets down. Which he did plan on doing. Immediately. 

"Please, Alec." She said, tossing him an expression that was an even mixture of hope and sympathy. "You haven't found anyone yet, and I have a really good feeling about this guy." Although she was technically talking about finding him a personal assistant, Alec had an inkling about what she was really insinuating. 

Izzy was silent for a moment.

"He forgot to send his resume in." His sister continued skeptically. Alec looked at her in disbelief. She had a good feeling about some guy who couldn't even be bothered to check the job requirements? "It's not like that." She added hastily, noticing the expression on his face. "It's just....I don't know what's up with him, but he's in bad shape, Alec."

"I don't know, Iz..." Alec said waveringly. He needed a night out, he really did, but he also couldn't say no to someone who needed help. 

Screw it. 

Clearly, Izzy could see the exact moment he changed his mind. Her eyes glimmered with victory, a triumphant expression etching across her face.

"So you'll do it? " She asked gleefully, positively giddy with delight. 

"Yeah,  I'll do it." Alec said, sighing resignedly. 

"Thank you, big brother." She replied sincerely, making it a point to convey the gratitude Alec was sure the man would be feeling as well through her eyes.

"Don't mention it."

 

* * *

 

 

"You have a call." Jace said, waltzing into Alec's office like he owned the place.

"Did no one ever teach you to knock?" Alec replied snarkily, although there was no trace of any actual anger in his voice. If there were two people on the world he couldn't get mad at, it was Jace and Izzy. 

Jace rolled his eyes.

"You have a call." He repeated, blunt and indifferent, clearing not bothering to deal with Alec's sarcasm. 

"Great...." Alec said offhandedly, not really looking up at his adoptive brother. Instead, he continued to look down at the paperwork he had in front of him, trying to convey the message that he was busy. He didn't necessarily have to get this done today, but he had managed to bury himself in it anyway. Since the late and forgetful guy had forgotten his resume, there were a few formalities he had to deal with before they sent him through.

When Jace didn't seem to budge, Alec finally looked up at him.

"Jace," He said pointedly, "I have an interview."

"I know, Izzy told me." Jace said. "But it's dad on the line."

Alec's reaction was instantaneous. His palms turned sweaty, and his heart thundered rapidly in his chest. It was ridiculous for a man of his age and status, but it was his father, and whenever his father wanted to talk, it wasn't a good thing. The reaction was ingrained in Alec, right down to the very core of his being. He was ashamed of his fear, but, as far as he could tell, it wasn't going away any time soon. 

"Okay." Alec said, ignoring the reprimanding look Jace gave him at his immediate consent. "But what about this interview?" 

"Can't you take it tomorrow?" 

"I could..." Alec said, his voice trailing off with uncertainty. "But Izzy really wants to get this done today."

Jace sighed. Izzy was just as much of a weakness to him as she was to Alec. Neither of the brothers could ever really refuse her. 

"I have an idea...." Jace ventured slowly, eyeing Alec hesitantly. He knew just how much Alec was averse to his admittedly ridiculous ideas.

"Go ahead." Alec said, his voice holding a warning in it. He loved Jace, he really did, but he wasn't in the mood to deal with his crap right now.

"Maybe I could take the interview in your place?" Jace blurted out, his eyes glinting. Clearly, be was proud of the fact that he had managed to think of that. 

Alec was silent for a moment.  

"That," Alec said finally, not missing the way Jace held only the slightest bit of fear in his eyes at the fact that Alec would smack him on the back of his head. He only just managed to keep a straight face. "is actually a pretty good idea." 

Immediately, Jace tossed him a beaming grin.

Just before his brother opened his mouth to respond, however, Izzy's head popped through the door for the second time that day. "He's ready, Alec." She said. "Hey, Jace." She added, noticing him in the room as well.

"Izzy," Alec said, tossing a glance at Jace, who nodded his head in confirmation. Okay, they were actually doing this.

"There's been a slight change of plans."

 

* * *

 

 

 _Okay._ He thought to himself.  _You can do this._

"Magnus, he's ready for you." Isabelle called out, knocking on the door of the restroom softly. "You okay in there?" She added, concern coloring her tone. Magnus couldn't help but cringe. Clearly, he had given everyone he had met so far the wrong impression. 

"Never been better." Magnus responded, giving himself one last once over before stepping out of the room and tossing her a broad smile. "Shall we?" He asked, gesturing grandly down the hallway, as if she were royalty. And she was, in a way.

In New York, at least. And quite possibly the rest of the world. 

She laughed, throwing a playful grin over her shoulder before accepting his invitation and leading the way to where Magnus was going to be interviewed. Magnus followed quietly.

On the way there, he debated between whether he should make small talk or just stay put. He wanted to know about Isabelle, he really did, but this person was, in a way, he would - be boss if he managed to get the job. He didn't really want to overstep. People were nice to their bosses, sure, but being friendly with them....

Well.

Eventually, however, he settled upon the second option. He had never really been one for leaving the silence undisturbed. Especially not when someone as friendly as Isabelle Lightwood was walking alongside him. 

"So, what do you do?" He asked her, his voice filling the ivory hallway and bouncing smoothly off the walls. He eyed her sideways, hoping she wouldn't mind him asking her that.

Apparently, she didn't.

"I'm actually a lawyer." She said, a hint of pride in her voice. 

"Really?" Magnus said, genuinely intrigued. He'd always been a bit fascinated by lawyers, his friend Ragnor was one himself, but he'd never really met any others.

"Yup." She said. "My office is here, and I take up company cases as well." It went without saying that the cases were against the company. Magnus knew for a fact that there were tons of those. Robert Lightwood may have started Lightwood Inc., but that certainly didn't mean he had treated it well. Things only really settled down after Alexander Lightwood took over. There were no new cases, of course, but there were still heaps of old ones they had to deal with, Magnus was sure.

"We're here." She said suddenly, tugging on his sleeve to pull him out of his thoughts and to a standstill. She gestured to a door at the end of the hallway. "That's your room." She said, smiling at him warmly. "Good luck. I hope you get the job." Isabelle said, and she sounded like she meant it.

"I hope so too." Magnus said. Returning her smile, he walked down to the room. Distractedly, he wondered if the Lightwood genes had worked their magic on Alexander Lightwood, just as well as they had worked on Isabelle Lightwood. He certainly hoped so.

He finally reached the door and raised his hand to knock.

"Come in." A voice called out.

Sighing heavily, Magnus waited for a moment, collecting his nerves, before he finally reached forward and pushed the door open.

He could do this.


	4. Chapter 4

Magnus was..... disappointed, to put it lightly.

In the back of his mind - a very primitive, hidden corner that little to no one knew about - he knew that the issue he was currently worried about didn't really qualify as an issue in the first place. 

Of course, he never paid attention to that corner of his mind. Ever. 

Alexander Lightwood did not look good. At all.

After seeing Isabelle, his expressions had been raised beyond belief. It was stupid and petty of him, sure, but then again, it was Isabelle Lightwood, of all people. 

To be completely fair, though, the CEO of Lightwood Inc. didn't really look that bad. In fact, he looked pretty incredible, if you loved the blond, cocky, playboy type of guy. But Magnus wasn't into the blond, cocky, playboy type of guy. And in constrast to Isabelle Lightwood, her brother really didn't compare. 

Still, if he wanted this job, he was going to have to do this right. One quick sweep, and Magnus could tell exactly what kind of person he was. He was a bit of a people expert, even if he did say so himself. All it took was one look. 

Alexander Lightwood was the kind of person who liked praise. Good. If there was one thing Magnus could do, it was flatter people. 

"Please, have a seat." The man said, gesturing to the chair in front of him. His voice was authorative, but it had an uncomfortable ring to it, as if he didn't really belong there. 

Magnus sat.

"So," he started, looking at a sheet of paper in front of him which had Magnus's photograph stapled on top and a few other details scrawled on it. "Magnus Bane." Magnus smiled at him, and nodded once, politely. "Tell me a bit about yourself."

And so the interview began. 

 

* * *

 

 

Alec was exhausted. If there was one thing he hated more than his father himself, it was talking to his father. 

Honestly, he really couldn't figure out what the man even wanted. He did exactly what his father asked of him,  everything single goddamn time. But it never seemed to be enough. The problem was, Alec couldn't really figure out what more he needed to do. His goal wasn't to please his father, he couldn't give two shits about that. He just wanted to get his father to shut the hell up and let him run his company like he was supposed to. 

He needed a break. 

"Alec." Izzy's voice broke into his thoughts. "Everything okay?"

"I talked to dad." Alec said bluntly. That definitely answered her question. Her face twisted with understanding. Their father had a bit of a soft side for Izzy, so she never really had a reason to hate him herself, but he'd given Alec quite the childhood. She hadn't experienced it, but she had been by his side the entire time, so she understood how he felt. 

"Oh." She said. The room was filled with silence for a moment.

It was Izzy who broke it. 

"You really need to take a break, big brother."

 _I know._ Alec thought. But he didn't say it out loud, he just gestured vaguely at the desk in front of him.... 

.....befor realizing he wasn't even in his office. 

Come to think of it, he wasn't really sure how he had ended up in this room either. 

God, was he disoriented.

Maybe he did need a break. 

"Maybe you're right." Aled conceeded quietly, looking down at his shoes. He knew it was selfish of him to relax, given the amount of work they all had, but there was always something to get down. And, quite frankly, Alec had dealt with enough in the past week alone. At this rate, his head was going to explode.

"Who's agreeing with who now?" Izzy asked with a smirk, referring to their conversation from this morning. Alec glared at her. 

"Keep up with that, and I'm not leaving here until midnight." Alec threatened.

Izzy gave him a pointed look. 

Alec sighed. "Fine." He muttered, ignoring her smug expression. He couldn't refuse her, and she knew it. She also knew exactly when he was being pushed beyond his breaking point, she always did. 

"I'll see you tomorrow?" Alec asked, already backing out of the room. Now that he had the chance, he wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. 

"Of course." Izzy said, smiling knowingly at him. 

"Don't stay back too late." Alec warned, not forgetting to remind her that she was still his little sister, which earned him a fond glare. 

And then he was gone. 

 

* * *

 

 

Half and hour later, Magnus stepped out of the interview room, a beaming smile plastered across his face.

He had gotten the job.  

 Honestly, though, Magnus had no idea how. 

It wasn't even that the interview had been hard. If anything, he had breezed right through it. All he had to do was answer a few basic questions about himself, really. That, and sit through horrible jokes, pretending they were funny whilst making equally terrible jokes of his own. Throughout the course of the interview, however, one thing became very clear to Magnus. 

He and Alexander Lightwood did not get along. At all. Which was exactly what baffled Magnus so much. 

Still. He was finally employed, and that was what mattered. 

He pulled out his phone and shot off quick texts to Catarina, Ragnor and Raphael. He wanted to call them, but it was already late, and he was sure they were busy. Either way, he could picture their reactions just fine. 

Catarina would go absolutely ballistic, wrapping him up in a bear hug and getting all emotional about how things were finally looking up for him, and how his life was going to change for the better. Ragnor would go on and on about what Magnus would need to do now and how he could do his job well. Raphael would try to remain indifferent, but would eventually cave and congratulate Magnus before retreating back into his shell once again.

Magnus was so lost in the cheerful mental image that he didn't notice Isabelle Lightwood walking up to him, not until she was standing right in front of him. 

"Earth to Magnus."

Realizing that he wasn't alone, Magnus fixated his Cheshire grin on her. 

"I'm assuming you got the job?" She asked, her tone making it clear that she had expected nothing but that. 

"Yes." Magnus breathed out, unable to say much more. "Thank you." He added, and he poured all the gratitude he was feeling into those two words. If it wasn't for her, he wouldn't even be here in the first place. 

 "Oh, don't mention it." She said with a casual wave of her hand. "Celebrations are in order, I presume?" She's asked, looking at him with a knowing grin.

"Absolutely." Magnus confirmed. "Any suggestions?" He asked, winking at her, "If you know what I mean."

If he was anywhere else, and with anyone else, he wouldn't have dated utter those words, especially not just when he had gotten a job there. But he wasn't anywhere else, and he wasn't with anyone else, which is exactly why he felt comfortable enough to say what he just did. 

"The club down the street." She said immediately, not even hesitating once before giving her input. Magnus nodded.  "I go there often." She continued, completely unabashed. 

"Oh?" Magnus said, definitely intrigued. If people like Isabelle Lightwood hung out there on a regular basis, then he was definitely in for a treat tonight.

"You should definitely visit the place." She insisted, a subtle gleam in her eyes. For a moment, Magnus's suspicions arose. What if she wanted him there for a reason? She seemed ridiculously eager to get him to go there.

Nonsense. He was just being paranoid. Years upon years of being tricked had made him think that way. 

He would be fine. 

"Sure." He said casually, smiling at her. "I should probably head over there, then." He said, already turning on his heel to walk away. He caught her grinning widely at him one last before he made his way outside, her faint "Have fun" echoing in his ears. 

Five minutes later, he was at the club. Isabelle wasn't kidding when she said it was impressive.

To be completely fair, the place didn't _look_ anything out of the ordinary. It had the same music playing over the speakers, the same bunch of horny teenagers and college kids and a few daring adults dancing and grinding against each other. The place had the same lights flashing, the same stairs leading to more private locations, the same couples sneaking away, just like any other club. 

But it felt different. The atmosphere soaked him right up. It felt like anything could happen here. 

Smiling to himself, Magnus ventured further into the club, eyeing every single person in front of him, when his breath was knocked right out of him. 

Because there stood a six foot tall Adonis, gorgeous as hell. He had a mop of raven black hair and hazel eyes that had Magnus captivated in seconds. It's was evident that he was here for the exact same reason Magnus was, but his eyes held just the right hint of shyness in them. He looked strangely tense, like he desperately needed to blow off some steam. And Magnus was willing to do just that. 

He continued to stare, unable to do much else, although he wanted to up to the man, he really did. After what seemed like forever, the man turned towards him, and their gazes met. The invitation in the other man's eyes was obvious; Magnus would be a fool to ignore it. 

Magnus walked towards him. 

"Hello, darling." He said, confident and suave, as if he hadn't just been drooling over the man less than five seconds ago. 

The man's eyes locked on his. The change in them was instantaneous.

The hazel darkened, and he looked a bit stunned, like he couldn't imagine why Magnus would ever talk to him. That didn't, however, stop him from eyeing Magnus up and down appreciatively, his breathing getting more labored by the second, although he tried his best to hide it. 

"Just one night, no strings attached." Magnus continued clearly, seemingly oblivious to the fact that the man looked like he was about to have an aneurysm. It killed him to say that, he would love to have some strings attached, especially if they came with the electric electric energy that charged the air between them, pulling them closer by the second, but Magnus had learned his lesson with such things.

 When he didn't respond, Magnus grew worried. 

"I'm sorry, were you waiting for someone else?"

Immediately, the man's neck snapped up. He turned pink with embarrassment, clearly at the fact that he had been caught ogling a stranger. The sight was delicious.

"No!" He said hurriedly, eyeing darting around nervously. Magnus smiled in reassurance. "I wasn't...I mean, I just-" 

"Save it." Magnus smiled gently. The other man sighed in relief. 

"I'm-" He started to say, but Magnus cut him off yet again.

"Sorry." He said, holding up a hand to stop him. "But I prefer no names."

"Okay." The other man said simply, providing zero resistance. Judging from the way he gave Magnus a once over every now and then, it was clear that he was totally enraptured. Magnus didn't blame him. 

"So, darling." Magnus said conversationally. "How about we take this somewhere else?" He gestured not so subtly to the stairs leading to the upper floor. 

He was greeted with an enthusiastic nod. 

"Okay then." Magnus laughed. He looked at the man, and suddenly, he couldn't control himself. He leaned forward and crashed their lips together, sighing with pleasure and satisfaction. They were surprisingly soft, his lips, something Magnus hadn't really expected. They kissed hungrily, a tangle of tongue and teeth. Magnus's hand wrapped around his neck, the other man's arm around his waist.

Magnus stumbled backwards, holding onto to the taller man for support as they both tripped their way up the stairs and to one of the rooms, where Magnus was pressed up against the door for a short period of time, a pair of lips still against his, before turning around and falling onto the bed, the other man underneath him. 

They broke apart for a moment, just a moment, before diving back in. It was strange, really. It was...intense. Exhilarating. And Magnus hadn't felt this way in a long, long time. 

Tonight was going to be fun. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update, I really am. I'll try to be more punctual, but, in all honesty, I really can't promise anything. Sorry. 
> 
> Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter though. :)
> 
> Feedback is always appreciated.
> 
> Peace,  
> Dana.


	5. Chapter 5

Alec's eyes snapped open suddenly, only to be greeted with utter darkness.

Jesus. What time was it?

Groggily, he reached over to his bedside table, where his phone lay. Sneaking a peek at the lock screen, he observed with a groan that it was almost three in the morning. Strange. He didn't really have a habit of waking up in the middle of the night, not unless he had some sort of nightmare. But not this time. Something must have bothered him.

It was only a second later that he realized that there was a warm body pressed up against his.

Startled beyond his wits, Alec leaped out of bed instantly, dragging half the covers with him. Ever horror movie he had ever watched flashed through his head. He eyed the man who had been laying beside him - apparently all this while - curiously, when it all came crashing down on him. 

Oh. _Oh_.

A blush rapidly coloring his cheeks, he recalled the memories he had made not more than a couple hours ago. Normally, Alec wouldn't feel embarrassed, but this time had been different. This man had been different. This was the man who had made him feel like more than just another crappy boss. This was the man who had made him feel like more than a terrible son who couldn't stand up to his father. This was the man who had made him feel like he was flying, with butterflies in his stomach, something he hadn't experienced since high school.

This was also the man whose name he didn't know.

For a moment, just a moment, Alec couldn't saying something. Unfortunately, he wasn't really sure how to wake this ethereal beauty up. He also wasn't sure it was a good idea to do something like that at three in the morning.  

The man yawned then, and shifted uncomfortably, his hand searching the spot in front of him, clearly trying to find Alec. Silently, although he had absolutely no idea why, Alec stepped forward and into the bed, tucking himself underneath the covers once again. Immediately, the other man's arm encircled his waist, pulling Alec close as he nuzzled into him. Alec smiled to himself, settling into the embrace as his eyes slowly drifted shut.

It wasn't long before he was far gone.

 

 

* * *

 

Magnus squinted against the bright sunlight streaming in through the windows as he nestled more comfortably into the covers, an attempt to go back to sleep. Unfortunately, his efforts were in vain. Whoever had picked out those curtains had done a terrible job. 

Cracking his eyes open, he yawned once before stretching soundly and sitting up in bed, the covers falling off his body. Noiselessly, he looked around, drinking in his surroundings. The room was mostly empty, apart from a single desk that had a few sheets of paper strewn across it, and a shelf filled with books. It looked like the only thing in this room that was used. Clearly, the man from last night didn't use this place often. Magnus wondered where he really lived.

Magnus swung his feet off the edge of the bed and scanned his surroundings, looking for a bathroom. When he finally found the door, he made his way towards it, not really feeling hesitant enough to refrain from doing so. They'd done enough last night to be past that kind of embarrassment.

When he was done, he stepped out of the room, unsure of where to go next. Upon inspection, he found that the kitchen was currently in use, given the smells in the air and the sound of utensils clattering everywhere. He wandered around for a while, well aware of how impolite it was to just roam around someone's house. Unfortunately, he didn't really have much of an option. 

When he finally stumbled into the kitchen, the first thing his eyes landed on was the gorgeous human being from last night, whose name Magnus's really wanted to know but didn't dare ask. The man was clearly cooking breakfast. Something about the sight warmed Magnus's heart; no one had made him breakfast in such a long time. He raised his arm to grab at the plates on one of the top shelves, sending his shirt riding up his stomach and exposing a thin strip of skin that sent shivers running down Magnus's spine. Silently, he chided himself for wanting to lick it. Last night had been more than enough. 

Magnus cleared his throat. Instantly, the taller man turned away from the counter, all his attention on Magnus. 

"Good morning." Magnus said, smiling pleasantly. He gave a small wave of his hand before heading into the kitchen.

"Morning." The other man replied. "I made breakfast." He continued, gesturing towards the food next to him before flushing adorably, realizing he had just stated the obvious. 

"I can tell, darling." Magnus said, enjoying the way his cheeks reddened more. Normally, he would've wanted to get the hell out of there as soon as he could, but he couldn't really deny a homemade breakfast, which was definitely something he wouldn't be getting anytime soon. Besides, the odds of seeing this man again were practically zip. He figured he'd enjoy the company while he could.

"Shall we eat?" Magnus finally asked, when it became evident that the other man really had no clue what to do. It was fascinating, the contrast between his behaviour last night and today morning. It was also strangely endearing. 

Silently berating himself as he warned his mind not to get too attached, Magnus followed him out of the kitchen and to the dining table, where he seated himself comfortably across from him. Magnus pulled up a plate and filled it with food, instantly digging in and savoring the deliciousness filling his mouth. The man was a seriously good cook. 

They ate in silence for a while, neither really sure of what to say. 

It was the other man who spoke. 

"I guess I can't ask for you name, can I?" He asked, and for a moment, just a moment, Magnus contemplated telling him who he was.

He decided against it. 

"Nope." He said promptly, popping the 'p'. The last time he'd given in to those temptations, he'd managed to land himself another heartbreak. Better safe than sorry. 

"Well then." He said, and Magnus didn't miss the way he sighed wistfully, eyeing Magnus with longing. "I suppose it's for the best." 

They talked for a while, about all sorts of random things. His favorite book, Magnus's favorite band, their interests, likes, dislikes. Not a single word that could point out who the other was was exchanged, though.

Unfortunately, the words died away after a while, because, really, what else could one talk about? They knew practically everything about the other, yet they knew nothing at all. 

Eventually, the other man glanced at the clock on the wall before looking at Magnus apologetically. 

"Excuse me." He said abruptly, getting up and disappearing into the bedroom they had ended up in last night. 

He emerged hardly a few moments later, looking undoubtedly fresher. He wasn't wearing anything too fancy, just a regular suit, but he looked incredible all the same. His outfit was a stark contrast to Magnus's, who was wearing nothing but a pair of gray sweatpants that were too big for him, something that had been laid out on the bed for him this morning. Yet another gesture that had only amplified Magnus's longing to get to know this man. 

"Sorry." He said, breaking Magnus out of his reverie. Magnus turned to look at his face rather than at the rest of him, a sheepish grin creeping across his own face. 

"For what?" Magnus asked, cocking his head to the side.

"I've got to head to work." The man continued, glancing down at his watch. "I'm already late."

"Come to think of it," Magnus said, suddenly remembering something. "I need to head to work too."

"Take your time." The man said. "I'll leave the keys under the doormat. Just make sure you lock the door before you leave, okay?" He cautioned. 

For a moment, Magnus was confused. Until it dawned on him.

"Wait, you're okay with leaving me alone in your house?" Magnus asked in disbelief, well aware of the fact that his mouth was hanging open. 

The man hesitated for a moment, before finally answering Magnus's question. "I trust you." He said, devastatingly blunt, and if Magnus wanted to burst out crying at those three words, he didn't show it. 

"Trust makes you do strange things." Magnus said in agreement, his voice sounding strangely choked as he nodded his head. He smiled at the other man. His smile was returned with something that was so indescribably beautiful, Magnus wanted to treasure the memory forever. 

"Well," the man said suddenly, snapping both himself and Magnus out of whatever trance they had fallen into. "I really should get going." He said, although he looked like he desperately didn't want to leave, not at all. 

Magnus felt the exact same way, which was what scared him. 

Shoving his feelings down, way into a corner that he would never peep into, Magnus smiled at the man again. "Of course." He said, his tone calm and collected. 

And then, with absolutely no warning, the other man walked up to Magnus and bent to his level, pressing a warm, chaste kiss to Magnus' lips, and the gesture was so unbelievably loving, almost as if he were kissing Magnus goodbye before leaving for work, almost as if they were husbands, happily married for years together, almost as if he  _loved_ Magnus, it broke Magnus's heart.

And then he was gone, the lock of the door sliding into place, leaving Magnus in a house that wasn't his, yet a place that felt like home. 

 

* * *

 

 

Shit. 

Shit shit shit shit shit. 

He was late. 

His first day at work and he was already late. 

Magnus all but flew past the double doors leading into the headquarters of Lightwood Inc., trying his hardest not to skid on the polished marble floors. Silently, he made a mental note to never wear the shoes he was currently wearing to work again. 

He rammed into the receptionist's desk, huffing out gasps of breath as Simon jumped slightly before turning towards him, clearly startled at Magnus's sudden appearance. Out of the corner of his eye, Magnus noticed Simon eye him incredulously as he adjusted his glasses. 

When Simon finally opened his mouth to speak, the first thing he said was: "Oh, I remember you. Magnus, wasn't it?" 

"Yeah." Magnus forced out, still breathing heavily. Clearly, he needed more exercise. 

"Hey, Magnus." 

It took Magnus everything he had in him to not roll his eyes. Whoever had decided to appoint a college kid as a receptionist was an idiot. 

"Hey, Simon." He replied, with faux politeness. "Do I need to sign somewhere, or do something else, or can I just...walk through?" Magnus questioned hurriedly, gesturing down the hallway, socially polite silences be damned.

"I'm going to need your fingerprint, actually." Simon said. 

Great. Now they were getting somewhere. 

"Okay." Magnus said, eyeing Simon pointedly. When he didn't move, Magnus raised an eyebrow. "Um, Simon?" He asked, ridiculously patient. "The fingerprint?" He prompted. 

"Oh, right!" Simon said, reaching under his desk and pulling out a small machine, holding it forward as he gestured for Magnus to place his thumb on the tiny screen. Magnus obliged, repeatedly telling himself that he couldn't go jail for attempted murder. That day would come eventually, if this was how Simon was, but not today. 

A moment later, a thin ray of green light swiped under his thumb. At Simon's request, Magnus lifted his thumb and watched as Simon pulled out a single, thick wire and connected it to his computer. To register the fingerprint, Magnus assumed.

"Just swipe your thumb over the scanner every morning." Simon said, pointing to the machine fixed to the wall a few feet away from him. "You can go in, now." The boy continued, and Magnus smiled at him gratefully before rushing down the hallway.

When he finally made it to the room, praying that he wouldn't get fired before he even got started, he knocked on the door, three short raps.

"Come in." A voice called out, and if Magnus had been paying close attention, he would've noticed that his boss sounded nothing like he did yesterday. Unfortunately, he was too busy trying to calm his breathing. 

Pushing the door open, Magnus wasted no time sputtering out a good morning before proceeding to apologize.

"I'm so sorry about being late, it won't-"

It was then that Magnus looked up at his new boss....

....and froze. 

_Holy mother of god._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There you have it guys, that highly anticipated moment that I'm not really sure if I did a good job on. Please let me know if it's at least satisfactory, I'm writing this in a rush because I didn't want to make you guys wait any longer.
> 
> Feedback would be highly appreciated. 
> 
> Peace,  
> Dana.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry.  
> I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry  
> I suck at this shit, I know, I really need to update faster.  
> Again, I'm sorry.  
> I have no excuse, because I know writer's block doesn't really count. I'm just sorry. I'll try to do better, I promise.

Alec looked up from the paperwork piled up in front of him, craning his neck as a knock sounded at the door, grateful for an excuse to take a break. He'd literally only gotten here a half hour ago and he was already loaded. 

"Come in." He called out, sneaking a quick glance at the clock hanging on the wall. 9:20 a.m. He was pretty sure that was supposed to be the personal assistant he had never asked for. 

Oh well.

He looked back down at his work, his pen flicking uselessly in his hand as he bit his lip. As ridiculous as it sounded, he was slightly nervous. He may have been the one to hire this guy - well, it had been Jace, really, but he trusted his brother - but he was still worried about the impression he would put across. Not to mention the fact that he would basically be spending most of his days with him now. 

Distractedly, Alec stood up as he heard the door swing open. Footsteps echoed through his mostly empty room as Magnus Bane - which was the name Jace had given him, although he wasn't really sure he was getting it right, because you could never really be too sure with Jace - shut the door behind him.

Instantly, the guy blurted out a good morning, in lieu of greeting, before wasting no time spitting out a flood of apologies.

"I'm so sorry about being late," The man began.

And suddenly, as his personal assistant's voice washed over Alec, he was immediately suspicious. Could it really be...?

Alec's head snapped up apprehensively as he prayed to every lord in the cosmos that his mind was just messing with him, and that this definitely wouldn't be one of the most awkward situations the universe could ever put anyone in. 

His prayers were not answered.

Shocked, Alec stared on at the man standing in from of him, whose own apologies died out in his throat as he seemed to finally notice Alec, both their eyes widening.

Magnus Bane.

His one night stand.

 _Shit_. 

Alec blanched as he stared, highly aware of the fact that staring was inappropriate, but also too startled beyond his wits to care. Clearly, the other man was having the exact same turmoil going on in his own head. Neither of them spoke, and, in all honesty, Alec was both grateful and slightly worried about that realization. He certainly didn't want to be the one of to start a conversation. He wasn't entirely sure he wanted to have one in the first place.

It was Magnus who spoke first.

"I'm sorry, is Mr. Lightwood here?" He said, with as much proffesionalism as he could muster. It was obvious that he was planning on pretending that absolutely nothing had happened between them. Alec seriously contemplated waking out of the room and never returning, convinced that this was either a dream - excuse him, a nightmare - or a hallucination. Either way, he wanted out.  

"I am....him." Alec said awkwardly, his voice sounding strangely formal and choked. Mentally, he berated himself for sounding like a teenager who'd just had his first kiss. 

"Excuse me?" Now it was Magnus's turn to be confused.

"I'm Alec Lightwood." Alec said dumbly, staring straight at the man in front of him, who hadn't budged an inch from his position in front of the door.

"You're my new boss." Magnus said, just as stupidly. Normally, Alec would have cringed, but he couldn't really find it in himself, and, to be honest, now was hardly the time. 

"Wait." Magnus said, holding a hand up in the air, as if to stop Alec from saying something. The joke was on him, Alec's mind was frozen. He wouldn't have been able to say anything even if he wanted to. "Weren't you supposed to look.... different?" Magnus said hesitantly, his confusion evident on his face.

Alec thought for a moment.

"Oh!" He said suddenly, putting two and two together. "Yeah, no, that wasn't me, I had something...important to attend to. That was my brother, Jace....." Alec trailed off then, realizing that Jace had basically pretended to be him, thereby effectively putting them in this situation. "I'm going to kill him." Alec finished, already envisioning punching the crap out of his adoptive brother.

"I'll join you." Magnus said. Normally, Alec wouldn't have encouraged his employees to say stuff like that, but he honestly couldn't really blame Magnus. 

Unfortunately, the threats to kill Jace were the last thing either of them said. The silence in the room thickened, expanding until it threatened to burst, leaving the both of them to suffer in the aftermath. Alec almost scoffed at the thought. As if this wasn't torture enough.

Finally, Alec couldn't take it anymore. 

"How about - " He said suddenly, a little too enthusiastically. Magnus startled, snapping out of whatever trance he had fallen into. " - I show you around?" He finished, comparatively lamely. Sadly, this was the only thing he could think of. 

Well, it was protocol anyway. 

"Yes." Magnus said, nodding frantically, his relief evident on his features, which were something Alec had been avoiding thinking about since the man had first stepped into the room. There was no denying it though, Magnus Bane was freaking gorgeous.

 _Alexander Gideon Lightwood,_ Alec chasitised himself as he stepped around his desk,  _You will NOT think of your PA that way._

He made it to the door then. Unfortunately, Magnus happened to be standing directly in front of it. Alec would either have to ask him to open the door, or ask him to move aside and open the door himself.

He decided on the latter. 

Worst decision ever.

Magnus stepped aside....just as Alec did the same. Cursing the universe, Alec stepped to the other side, only to have Magnus follow suit. They ended up in an awkward dance, which wasn't really a dance so much as it was torture, fake smiles plastered across their faces.

Eventually, _finally_ , Alec managed to reach over and grab onto the handle, swinging the door open wide as Magnus stepped away. Heaving a sigh of relief, he gestured forward with his hand, the other one holding the door open.

"Ladies first." He said absentmindedly, his voice charming, just the way he had been taught.

A second later, he realized his mistake.

"I'm not, I mean....that's not, I wasn't-" He spluttered, his face turning bright red, his body frozen in place.

"It's okay." Magnus said quickly, smile still stretched across his face like it was glued there. His voice sounded rigid and forced. He raised a finger in the air as he continued. "Let's not....question it." He finally said, heading out of the room, a bit too quickly for social etiquette. Again, Alec didn't blame him.  

"Yeah." Alec breathed out as he followed suit, letting the door shut behind him, his face still flushed with mortification. "Let's definitely not."

_Jesus Christ._

 

* * *

 

"And that," Alec said, gesturing to the row of bedrooms in front of them, "is where we stay."

This was the last part of their tour, Alec noted with relief. Hours of walking around with Magnus trailing behind him, the awkward silence only punctuated with words every time Alec had to show him something new, had been exhausting. Although he wasn't really sure it would get any better, not anytime soon.

"We?" Magnus questioned, peering into the open doors, his face alight with curiosity. Alec followed his gaze, and instantly found the source of the other man's enquiry. 

"Uh, it's mostly just me, really." Alec said quietly, not liking the fact anymore than Magnus seemed to. "Izzy and Jace go home for the night." He said, not really bothering to hide the fact. It would be pointless, really, the evidence was right there. Out of the three bedrooms in front of them, two were immaculately clean, a thing layer of dust coating everything. The bedroom to the far right, however, had an unmade bed, covers thrown carelessly. Books lay everywhere, and papers and clothes were strewn all over the floor.

Magnus's eyes softened.

"Why don't you go home?" He asked, but it sounded like he already knew the answer. Alec had the sinking feeling that he did. He was sure that it was plainly visible on his face.

Alec averted his gaze.

"Didn't really have anyone to go home to." He mumbled, more to his shoes than to the man in front of him.

Magnus said nothing.

After a moment, Alec looked up at him. "Jace has Clary, and Izzy has Simon." Alec said, noticing a flicker of recognition come across Magnus's face at those names. He wasn't really in the mood to question it, though. Besides, he knew that Magnus had already met Izzy and Simon, it was probably that.

He was aware that Magnus hadn't asked, but kept saying what was on his mind anyway, shocking himself. This was something he rarely did. Alec was grateful Magnus didn't interrupt him. 

"I don't know, Magnus," He said helplessly, noticing distantly that this was the first time he had said the other man's name. He liked the way it rolled off his tongue. _Magnus_. "There never really seemed to be a point, you know?" He continued, seemingly unable to stop. "Going home to nothing. At least Jace and Izzy have  _someone_."

He paused. 

"Besides," He finally said. "I stay over late a lot, anyway. It's just easier." Alec shrugged casually, trying to seem indifferent, as if nothing he had just said affected him at all.

For a moment, he studied Magnus's face. It was clear that the other man wanted to ask him a few things, but was restraining himself. Alec felt another surge of gratitude flow through him. He really didn't think he could handle those questions, not right now. 

Finally, Magnus turned to look inside the room again, all but studying it. Alec didn't miss the way he eyed the bed before turning towards Alec, raking his eyes over him, completely unabashed.

"Taller people sleep longer in bed, you know."

Alec just stared at him. 

He watched in amusement as Magnus's face morphed from confusion to realization to embarrassment, his expression finally settling on something in between _W_ _hy_ and _I'm going to go die now._

Alec couldn't help it, he burst out laughing.

"I would tell you a joke about beds myself, but it hasn’t been made yet." Alec said, not realizing what he had said until much, much later.

This time, it was Magnus's turn to laugh.  

Alec couldn't help but join in. 

Once they had calmed down, Magnus dramatically wiping an imaginary tear from the corner of his eye, Alec gestured down the hallway. Magnus smiled and fell into step beside him, a comfortable silence settling over them as they made their way back to Alec's office, something Alec had been sure they wouldn't have been able to experience for at least another decade.

So of course he had to go ruin it. 

"Well, I guess your no - name rule didn't work out so well, huh?" He said, completely conversationally, as if that wasn't a touchy subject that they had been avoiding for god knows how long. 

Magnus froze. 

A moment later, Alec followed.

He was going to kill himself.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd say that feedback and kudos would be appreciated, but y'all will probably punch me. 
> 
> Sidenote: KATHERINE MCNAMARA LIKED MY TWEET HOLY MOTHER OF GOD PRAISE THE LORD HALLELUJAH 
> 
> Totally calm and composed right now. Totally not cowering away from you guys, because y'all are totally not gonna kill me for updating so late. Nope, it's all good. 
> 
> Peace,  
> Dana.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should apologize for not uploading sooner, but I actually have a very valid reason. I can't say what it is here, but I genuinely couldn't update this time.  
> Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, thank you so much for waiting this long :)

Alec sat there, his face buried in his hands, Clary's hand rubbing soothing circles on his back. 

"Why?" He groaned, his voice muffled. 

"I don't know, Alec." Clary responded, and, honest to god, Alec may have been grateful for her presence, but that didn't mean he wouldn't punch her right this instant.

They were seated on a bench in Central Park, Alec hunched up, Clary beside him, trying her best to reassure him. How he'd ended up here with Jace's girlfriend, he had no idea, but he didn't really care at the moment. Jace himself was too busy being an idiot to be of much help, and he really didn't want to bother Izzy. Clary had stopped by, and she'd just ended up tagging along with him. 

"Of all the people, did I seriously have to sleep with him?" He asked her. It was a rhetorical question, but, Clary being Clary, she answered anyway. 

"I mean, he is gorgeous."

"Not helping, Fray!" Alec said, finally lifting his head up to glare at her.

"It's Fairchild!" She squaked indignantly, swatting his arm. "And don't take your anger out on me."

"I'm not angry." Alec said resolutely, ignoring her pointed stare. "I'm not." He protested, even as she continued to glare at him. "It's just....so _awkward_."

"So talk to him about it." She said simply, shrugging her shoulders casually, as if she hadn't just suggested one of the most ridiculous things ever. 

"It's not that easy, you know." He said, dropping his head back into his hands. "He really doesn't want to bring up the subject." 

"Alec." Clary said firmly, not letting him speak any further. For a moment, she was silent. Then, suddenly, her hands were pushing Alec's own aside. She took his face in her hands, squishing his cheeks, ignoring his blatant cries of protest.

"Alexander Gideon Lightwood." She said stoutly, looking directly into his eyes. Alec wanted to both punch her and hug her. "You are better than this."

"I'm not-" He began to say. 

"Talk. To. Him." She insisted, cutting him off. For a moment, Alec stared at her wordlessly, unsure of what to say in a situation like this. He also wasn't sure he _could_ talk, his cheeks were pressed up pretty tightly. 

A moment later, her hands dropped. She looked at the watch on her wrist, tilting it to see the time.

"Oh, look at that!" She said, a bit too cheerily for Alec's liking. He was instantly suspicious. "Your break's up." She continued, grinning at Alec like this was the best thing that could ever happen to him.

Alec groaned, dropping his head back into his hands for the third time that hour. 

"Nope." She said suddenly, popping the 'p'. Alec looked up at her, confused. "Absolutely not." 

When he continued to stare at her, his confusion written all over his face, she clarified. 

"You," She said, hauling him up by the arm, "are not skipping work."

"Clary, come on-"

"Chop, chop." She said, patting him on the back as she shoved him in the general direction of his office. Distractedly, he wondered how someone so tiny could possibly be so annoying. He had no idea how Jace tolerated her on a daily basis. Then again, his brother was a strange man. 

"Go do your thing, Lightwood." She said, just as he began to walk away. 

"I hate you, Fray." He muttered under his breath, heading away from her. 

"I heard that!" She called after him. Alec could literally picture her waving her fist in the air threateningly. For someone so tiny, she could be fierce when she wanted to. "And it's Fairchild! _Fairchild_!"

Alec almost smiled. Almost.

 

* * *

 

 "And that goes right over there." Alec said, pointing to a shelf in a corner of his office. Magnus nodded and headed over to it, placing the stack of papers in his hand inside and locking it. Alec didn't miss the way his long fingers held the key in place for a moment before pulling it out. He couldn't help but think of last night, when those fingers ghosted over his skin, almost reverently, as if he were worth touching, not just another toy.

 _Stop it, Alec._ He chided himself.  _Magnus works for you._

And what a shame that was. 

"Is that all?" Magnus asked, snapping him out of his thoughts. Alec turned to look at him. The other man's exhaustion was evident on his face, although Alec was sure that it had less to do with the work he had had today, and more to do with avoiding any interaction other than professional with Alec at all costs. They'd tried being friendly earlier, and look where that had gotten them. 

"Yeah." Alec said, nodding. "I guess you're done for the day."

Just as Magnus opened his mouth to respond, the door swung open, and Izzy's head popped through. 

"Having fun, boys?" She asked, and Alec didn't miss the subtle gleam in her eyes. He had no doubt that she was teasing him right now. Alec was absolutely certain that, the minute Magnus left, she would be pestering him to hook up with him. His sister was an incredible person, and charming in all aspects, but she was never really one to care for authority, not the way Alec did. Maybe she wasn't as bad a Jace, but she really didn't seem to find anything wrong with having personal relationships with her co-workers, given her.... _friendly_ nature with Simon. 

Oh, if only she knew.

"Yes, surprisingly." Magnus said, and it was only then that Alec realized that he hadn't really answered Izzy's question. "Alexander is a much better boss than I expected, truly." Magnus continued, the words rolling off his tongue effortlessly, as if he hadn't just spent an entire nine hours in awkward silence. 

 _Alexander._ Alec noted. He guess he'd never really told Magnus what to call him. Alec would've been just fine, no one ever really called him by his full name, but he was willing to let this one slide. 

"We're on a first name basis now, are we?" Izzy asked, her expression filled with amusement.

"Of course we are, Isabelle, why wouldn't we be?" Magnus answered, smiling at her charmingly. Alec just glared at her, noticing the way she turned her gaze every so slightly onto him, a wicked gleam in her eyes. 

"Well then,  _Magnus,_ " His sister said, making sure to emphasise his name. "I should get going now." She waved her hand at the both of them, a shit eating grin still covering her face. "Goodnight, boys." She said.

"Goodnight, dear." Magnus replied, returning her smile. 

"Night, Iz." Alec said, just as she left the room, the door shutting softly behind her. 

Alec turned towards Magnus. 

"Well, I guess you can head home now." Alec said, cringing internally at how horrible he sounded, like he was sending Magnus away. That was, essentially, what he was doing, but there were better ways to word that request, he was sure of it.

He didn't really bother apologizing, however. Magnus had just spent an entire day with him, in all his awkward glory. He was sure the other man was used to his ridiculousness by now. 

Sure enough, Magnus got the message.

"I'd best be going, then." He said, smiling up at Alec, before turning on his heel and walking away. 

Just as he was about to open the door, however, Alec called out to him. 

"Oh, and, Magnus?" He said, shamelessly enjoying the view before Magnus turned around to face him once more. 

"Yes, boss?" Magnus asked, his lips curved in something between a smile and a smirk. Alec found that he rather enjoyed seeing that expression on the other man, although he tried not to think of that. 

"Alec is just fine." Alec said, despite not wanting to. He liked the way Magnus said his name, pronouncing each letter carefully, saying the entire thing slowly instead of rushing through it. It would be strange, though, if Magnus was literally the only person on the planet to call him that. 

"Duly noted." Magnus said, smiling at him once more as he backed out of the room, their gazes locked. He reached behind him and pushed the door open, not once breaking his stare. He backed out of the room slowly, until only his head was poking inside. 

"Goodnight, _Alexander_." He said, slipping out of the room, his footsteps echoing down the hallway.

Alec smiled.

 

* * *

 

"You're joking."

"I'm not."

"He's not."

"Magnus, why?"

"I don't know, Ragnor!" Magnus all but yelled into the phone. There was no real anger in his tone, though, and he was well aware that Ragnor knew that too. "Maybe I only slept with him because I was so lonely. And maybe I was so lonely because  _someone_ refused to come meet me."

His answer was met with a collective set of groans. 

"I was busy, Magnus, I told you that." Catarina said, and Magnus could practically see her roll her eyes.

"I don't blame you, Cat, dear." Magnus said, but he was cut off before he could finish.

"Of course you don't, Magnus. God knows what would've happened to you if you did."

Magnus smiled, thinking back to last year, when they had met up at his apartment for no particular reason. It wasn't even movie night, or game night, or anything. It was just...them. They were tired, stressed, and frustrated, so they just ended up in his loft, stuffing themselves with take out and ice-cream, buried under the sheets in the living room as they watched movie after crappy movie. They had ended up playing truth or dare after a while, and Magnus had called Catarina out for something that was clearly his fault, although he absolutely refused to admit it. As a result, she'd ended up chasing him around the house until she'd finally managed to catch up with him, after which she had doused him with every drink they'd ordered that night. The event had ended with a grand finale of Magnus weeping over the loss of one of his best jackets, before finally coming to terms with it and tackling the rest of them in a hug, effectively drenching them as well. 

"Earth to Magnus." Raphael said suddenly, snapping Magnus out of his thoughts. Magnus shook his head once to clear it, a smile still stretched across his face at the memory. He could hear it in Raphael's voice, too, and he knew that the others were thinking of the same thing as he was, their expressions mirroring his own. 

"Yes, Raphael?" Magnus asked.

"What're you going to do?" He questioned. "Ragnor just asked you that, by the way." He continued. 

"Sorry, Ragnor." Magnus said sheepishly. The other man huffed.

"You could talk to him about it." Catarina suggested. 

"I would love nothing more." Magnus said icily, his tone dripping with sarcasm. Ragnor groaned.

"Magnus," He said, his tone warning. Magnus knew he was glaring at the phone right now. "You'd better talk to him about this."

"He doesn't want to!" Magnus cried, exasperated. "You should've seen him today, he was as stiff as a brick. I don't think he even breathed around me."

"Maybe it's that god-awful perfume of yours." Raphael deadpanned. 

"Shut up, Santiago." Magnus hissed.

"Don't tell me what to do." Raphael retorted. 

"Why don't you just-"

"Boys!" Catarina cut in, her voice louder than usual. Magnus yanked the phone away from his ear, scrunching his face up. "We have more important things to discuss."

"It was his fault." Magnus said quickly, a smile making it's way onto his face once again.

"My fault?!" Raphael protested indignantly. "You're saying it was my fault?!"

"If the both of you don't shut up right now, I swear to god I'm taking you to court." Ragnor threatened. 

"Forget court, I'm stitching your mouths shut. And I am legally authorized to do so." Catarina added, her voice deadly. Magnus knew all four of them were grinning hugely.

"Try that, I dare you." Magnus said, suddenly finding it impossible to contain the bubble of laughter that burst out of him. 

"I cannot believe you find this funny." Catarina said incredulously, but it was obvious that she was trying to hold her own laughter in. 

"He might as well laugh, he isn't going to be alive much longer." Ragnor added, making Magnus laugh even harder, doubled over as he clutched at his stomach.

"I hate all of you." Raphael said flatly, even as he let a small giggle escape his mouth as well. "I really, really hate you all."

"Of course you do, dear, of course you do." Magnus offered, between gasps of laughter.

And maybe they didn't find a solution that night. Maybe Magnus wasn't ever going to find a solution. Maybe he would be stuck in an awkward situation for the rest of his life. But this friendship, these moments, they made up for all of that, and more.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would call this a filler chapter, but I refuse to believe those things exist. Each moment is just as important as another.  
> As always, let me know what you guys thought.
> 
> Peace,  
> Dana.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I don't think anyone who was previously reading this story is actually continuing it, especially considering the fact that it's almost been a year since I first announced my unspecified absence on this site. 
> 
> Screw the formality. 
> 
> I'm so sorry about this guys, but I finally managed to get back to this book. I was initially planning on not continuing this at all, but I couldn't let myself leave a story unfinished. 
> 
> I hope you guys like this chapter :)

"Good morning, Magnus." Isabelle said, greeting Magnus with a smile as in pushed past the double doors and walked into the headquarters of Lightwood Inc.

"Morning, Isabelle." Magnus replied, just as cheerily. He wasn't really sure what had left him in such a good mood today, but he suspected that it had something to do with talking to friends for almost all of last night.

"Please," She said, with an indifferent way of her hand as she walked up to him. "Call me Izzy."

"Gladly." Magnus said, smiling charmingly as he winked at her. "Izzy."

She laughed as he reached forward and grasped her hand, pressing a light kiss to the back of it. "Well, aren't you a charmer?" She asked, her eyes twinkling.

"I guess I am." Magnus agreed amiably, just as Simon walked up to the two of them, pointedly eyeing Magnus's hand clasped around Izzy's.

"What's all this talk about a charmer?" He asked, subtly sliding an arm across his girlfriend's shoulders. 

"Magnus is a charmer." Izzy said simply, directing her smile at Simon. Magnus didn't miss the way they brightened up at the sight of each other.

The three of them stood there for a while, a comfortable silence settling over them.

"So," Magnus began conversationally, gesturing between the two of them. "How long have you two been dating?"

"What? No, we're-" Simon stuttered, his face going red as his arm instantly dropped to his side.

"We're just friends." Isabelle finished, giving Magnus a stiff nod of her head. She frowned, suddenly seemingly uncomfortable. She glanced sideways at Simon, her expression longing. Magnus wasn't sure what that meant, especially if they weren't dating, but he guessed that there was a story there.

"Sorry." Magnus said quickly, shaking his head. "I'd just assumed you were, given...." He trailed off then, not really knowing how to finish that sentence without sounding like an idiot.

"We get that a lot, actually." Simon said, his previous embarrassment obviously fading. He nodded his head rapidly. Magnus wasnt entirely sure whether that was something he did only in awkward situations, or a habit of his. If it was a habit, that he definitely wasn't going to be dating anyone anytime soon. 

"It's the weirdest thing, you know?" The boy continued, completely oblivious to the way Izzy was glaring at him. "It's like - "

"It's fine, Magnus." Izzy said suddenly, cutting Simon off yet again. Her words sounded forced. 

Magnus nodded once.

The silence that settled over them this time wasn't so comforting.

It was Isabelle who broke it.

"Shouldn't you be heading to work?" She asked, gesturing to Magnus, who would be a fool to deny this exit.

"Yes!" He said, a bit too quickly. Simon raised his eyebrows. 

Clearing his throat, Magnus tried again. "I mean, yes." He said, sounding much more calmer this time. "I probably should." 

Without wasting another second, he hurried out of there, all but tripping over his feet. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Izzy and Simon accidentally turn and bump into each other once before apologizing and turning in opposite directions. He cringed internally. He'd hoped the situation wouldn't get more awkward. Sadly, he was wrong. 

He made his way down the hallway, stopping only for a second to press his thumb against the scanner Simon had shown him the other day. He heaved out a sigh of relief when his fingerprint was recognized, he really didn't want to go back to the reception at the moment. Or ever, for that matter. 

Good lords, this entire place was just one big awkward situation. How had he managed to end up here?

When he finally - and sadly, sue him - made it to his boss's office, he stood outside the door for a second, his fist hanging hesitantly in the air. He wasn't afraid, not at all, he was just...stalling, as he prepared his mind to deal with another entire day of awkwardness. 

"You know I know you're outside, right?" A voice asked suddenly, startling him. 

"Excuse me?" Magnus asked, although he knew fully well who it was. 

"Oh, just come in, Magnus." Alexander said, a bit exasperatedly. Magnus didn't really blame him. 

Shoving his humiliation at being caught just standing around, he pushed open the door and stepped inside, making sure he carefully shut it behind him. Maybe he took a little longer that strictly necessary. 

"Good morning, Alexander." Magnus said, walking towards his boss as he fished a coffee cup out of his bag and placed it on the desk between them. "Black, no sugar." He supplied, when the coffee was received with a questionable expression. So maybe he had payed a little more attention that he had let on that morning, when Alexander had stayed the night.

"Thanks." The man grumbled, clearly choosing not to question Magnus's choice of coffee as he raised the cup to his lips. The very lips that Magnus had been kissing two days ago. 

_Magnus, stop._

"Also, I told you, it's just Alec." He continued, his voice muffled by the styrofoam cup still hovering near his face. 

"Noted, Alexander." Magnus said cheekily, grinning up at the other man. He preferred the name Alexander, thank you very much. He liked the way it rolled off his tongue.

"Jesus Christ, Magnus." Alexander muttered under his breath, placing the cup down as he began to shuffle through the papers on his desk. 

"What crawled up your ass today morning?" Magnus retorted, not bothering with politeness. He figured they were past that. 

Apparently, Alexander did too.

"None of your business." The man responded, not bothering to dignify Magnus's question with even a glance.

"Oh, so this is how it's going to be, is it?" Magnus asked, glaring at his boss. This was ridiculously immature. And a tad bit petty, even for him. 

"How what's going to be?" Alexander asked, looking up at Magnus, slightly confused. Magnus was slightly mad at him, he wasn't going to deny that, but he also wasn't going to deny the fact that the other man looked absolutely adorable with that expression on his face.

Not that he was going to tell him that.

"This!" Magnus said frustratedly, gesturing rapidly between the two of them. "Just because we....you know,  _that-_ " Magnus said, suddenly not wanting to say the words. "-doesn't mean we have to be all moody and closed off around each other."

"I'm not being moody and closed off." Alexander protested stubbornly. 

Magnus raised an eyebrow.

"Look," Alexander said, raising his hand in the air, palm facing Magnus. "We don't have to be friendly, alright? I give you work, you do it, I give you the money, that's it."

Oh.

Oh wow.

"Wait, Magnus, that's not what I-" 

"Save it." Magnus snapped, glaring the other man. "Message received." He hissed, practically spitting the words out. " _Alec."_

Alec opened his mouth, as if he was about to say something, but then shut it again, his teeth snapping together. Magnus almost winced at the sound. Almost.

"Okay then." The man said finally, his gaze wavering, pointing in every direction except at Magnus. "Could you fetch the files for that deal with Morgenstern?"

"Of course." Magnus said, his voice still a bit harsh. He didn't miss the way Alec's eyes went a bit wider when he said that, as if he was hurt. Well, two could play at that game. 

"Not an issue, Alec." Magnus continued to reassure him, his teeth still clenched, and if he hadn't gotten his point across before, he certainly had now. 

"Not an issue at all."

 

* * *

 

"Magnus."

"Yes?"

" _Magnus_." 

"Yes, Alec. What is it?"

"Oh, will you just look at me for a second?"

Magnus sighed, but turned towards Alec, who'd fixed him an unreadable expression. He shook his head, dropping the paperwork he was arranging - the man had serious issues with organization - onto the desk as he pursed his lips. 

"What do you want, Alec?" He questioned, in the same unfriendly tone he'd been using all day. "What could possibly be more important than me finishing up with my work so I can just go home?" 

"I wanted to apologize." Alec said, his words stunted and hesitant as he levelled his wavering gaze with Magnus's own. 

"Fine," Magnus stated, unflinching. "Apology accepted." He turned back towards the desk, thinking little to nothing of the conversation as he went back to rearranging Alec's files. He wanted nothing more to do with his boss other than strictly necessary. 

"No, Magnus, listen," Alec continued, his tone uncertain as he took a step towards Magnus. Instantly, Magnus froze. Alec, thankfully, understood the gesture, and made no attempt to come any closer. 

"Look, I'm sorry about what I said, okay?" He stated firmly. Magnus took a deep breath in, but said nothing. "It was wrong, and I didn't mean it, and I wanted to let you know that." Alec said. 

Magnus considered his apology for a moment, letting his hand drift slowly to his side. 

Finally, he turned towards Alec, his features softening. "Okay." He said, the corners of his mouth tugging up into a small, guarded smile. "Apology accepted. For real this time." He declared, shaking his head in an almost imperceptible gesture of condescendence when Alec's shoulders sagged, his relief evident in his features. "But don't think this means anything." He added, almost immediately, his tone warning. "We're not exactly friends, now." 

"Yeah, I think I can live with that." Alec nodded, a small smile making its way onto his face. 

"Okay," Magnus said, going back to his files. The two of them worked in silence, one that Magnus wasn't particularly inclined to interrupt. Thankfully, Alec didn't seem to either. 

As they worked, Magnus couldn't help but notice Alec out of the corner of his eye. He'd gone back to his chair, and was bent over his desk, his eyebrows scrunched in the middle of his forehead as he surveyed some document he'd received earlier that day. His posture was stiff, tense - clearly, there was something about the sheets of paper in front of him that made him uncomfortable. 

Well, whatever it was, Magnus wasn't one to pry. 

Instead, he let his thoughts drift to the night they'd spent together. 

Alec had been gentle, almost hesitant at first, as if he wasn't sure of who he was, or what he was doing. For a moment, Magnus had been concerned about whether this was his first time, but had shaken the thought off almost instantly. No one was stupid enough to lose their virginity in a one night stand. 

And if they were, then he wasn't going to question it. That was some severe emotional damage he didn't want on his shoulders.

So he'd encouraged Alec instead, pushing and prodding and touching him in all the right places until he finally got Alec to respond to him. And when Alec did, he did _not_ disappoint. 

"You done there?" Alec's voice said suddenly, startling him out of his thoughts. Instantly, he threw the last file into the cabinet, slamming the door shut before turning to face Alec, a blush that was hopefully unnoticeable coloring his cheeks. 

"Uh, yes." He said, his voice breathy. If Alec caught on, he didn't mention it. 

"Okay." Alec said simply. He gestured towards the door, his arm outstretched. Normally, the action would've seemed rude, like he was ushering someone outside, but Alec's gaze was soft, and his features were arranged in a slightly pleading expression. Clearly, he would be staying here for much longer than Magnus was, and he wanted some privacy. 

"Yeah, okay." He said, flitting around the room as he gathered his things. Distractedly, he noticed Alec pick his phone up, eyeing the device tensely before punching a number in. 

Finally finishing up with putting the few items he'd brought with him that morning together - and maybe even cleaning the room a little while he was at it - Magnus muttered a faint goodbye that wasn't sure Alec really heard, much less responded to, before heading out the door, his fingers curling around the handle a bit hesitantly. 

A moment later, he shook his head, willing himself to leave. Alec clearly wanted some time to himself, and if anyone needed to check up on him, Isabelle could do it just fine. 

The last thing he saw before shutting the door was Alec placing the phone against his ear in a terse gesture, a tired hand rubbing across his face. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you guys thought of this chapter, will you? I'm a bit rusty with this book, because it's been a really long time since I've added anything to it, and each book kinda has it's own language. In this case, it's going to take a little practice.
> 
> I do hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, though.
> 
> Peace,  
> Dana.

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you guys think, will ya? And if anyone has any specific scenes they want to read, go ahead and drop a comment.
> 
> Peace,  
> Dana.


End file.
